Online betting players are now putting Thursday night football on their NFL wagering schedule, and the action kicks off with a meeting of AFC West rivals who are struggling. San Diego hosts Oakland, and both teams have been killing themselves with mistakes. At home on a short week, the Chargers are the way to go.

Things started out well for the Raiders as they opened up a 17-7 halftime lead, but they fell 38-24 at home to Denver behind turnovers, penalties and awful defense. Carson Palmer went was 19-of-35 for 332 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also picked off three times and is still working up to game speed. The defense was gouged on the ground, giving up 299 yards for an average of 7.9 yards. They also allowed an 85-yard punt return as the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, and finally, the Raiders continue to pick up the most flags in the NFL as they were penalized 15 times for 130 yards and four of those moved the chains for the Broncos. Oakland keeps shooting themselves in the foot and this game would have been in the books for the Raiders if not for so many mistakes in all three facets.

Receiver Darrius Heywood-Bey was benched for most of the Denver game, and there was no apparent injury, so keep your ear to the news for an explanation as Heywood-Bey, a much-maligned former first-round pick, had started to play well. It may be a case of familiarity as the Raiders picked up veteran T.J. Housmandzadeh, who used to play with Palmer in Cincinnati, but that is no excuse. Housmandzadeh had one catch for 28 yards, but he looked like a receiver who had been out of the league for a while. The Raiders are now 0-2 with Palmer at the helm and both losses have come in their division. Three in a row and NFL betting players who jumped on the Raiders may press the panic button. Also, watch the status of running back Darren McFadden (foot), who missed the Denver game.

Why Bet On San Diego Chargers (4-4 SU, 2-6 ATS)

The Chargers also undid themselves by mistakes as three turnovers doomed them in a 45-38 loss at home to Green Bay, and Philip Rivers hasn’t had a couple of weeks to write home about after handing Kansas City a win on Monday night with a fumble. He was 26-of-46 for 385 yards and four touchdowns, but he was also picked off three times and the Chargers now lead the AFC in giveaways. Mike Tolbert had 83 rushing yards and a score, while Vincent Jackson caught seven passes for 141 yards and three touchdowns, but the Chargers made too many mistakes to beat a team as good as Green Bay. The defense did their best to contain Green Bay’s high-powered offense and they managed four sacks, and it’s tough to really fault the Chargers as the Packers are playing at a high level and have made better defenses look terrible as well.

San Diego may have Ryan Mathews (ankle) back in the lineup on Thursday as he was almost ready to go for the Packers, but the Chargers decided to keep him on the sidelines. Tolbert did an admirable job running the ball and Mathews would be sharing time when he comes back. But the real key to San Diego’s NFL betting odds is Rivers and simply put, he has to be more careful with the ball. It’s tough for any team to overcome turnovers and the Chargers are no different; Rivers is usually better with ball control and you have to think this trend will turn around soon, because if it doesn’t the Chargers will fall by the wayside in the AFC.

How It Will Play Out

The NFL betting line for this game is off the board as the Raiders are awaiting the status of McFadden, but it would be a surprise if the Chargers are the underdogs at home, where they are 4-1 SU, but also 2-3 ATS. All three of San Diego’s ATS losses at home to Oakland has come when they were favored by 13 points or more, so a double-digit spread isn’t out of the question.

Bet on the Chargers to bounce back from a couple of disappointing weeks to take down the Raiders, as Palmer is still shaking off the rust and with no McFadden in the backfield, teams can load up against the veteran quarterback. The Raiders also showed they can be suspectible to poor run defense and that will allow them to minimize any potential mistakes by Rivers. Watch out for the spread, but San Diego is the SU play to make on Thursday in your sports betting book.

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